It is common for door or cover assemblies for household appliances, especially those in washers and dryers, and more specifically in the field of dryers, to have a window with at least two layers, where as an example, the two layers can be two glass panes, an inner glass pane which is in contact with the textiles and an outer glass pane which can have contact with the operator, or yet a glass pane as an inner window and a thermoplastic polymer laminate such as polycarbonate as an outer window. The advantage of having two layers on the window of the door or cover of the dryer is that it can protect the operator from exposure to the high temperatures generated during the drying cycle in the dryer's interior, thus avoiding exposing the operator to possible burns by being in direct contact with the dryer's window.
Additionally, one of the problems which can arise on the doors or lids in the previous art is that the doors or lids of household appliances, especially of dryers, can be non-reversible.
It is common that the operator realizes after comparing his dryer that in light of its proximity to other objects, such as can be a wall, the opening of the door or cover be an obstacle.
Patents which have a double glass pane for dryers are known in the previous art. For example, US publications numbers 200402246 and 2005034486 and Korean publication number 20030062172, make known doors for dryers with a window composed of two layers. It is common for washers to have a door or cover present with a single glass pane. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,665,984 and 7,032,350 make known a door or cover defined by a tempered glass bordered by an encapsulation similar to an open frame made of a molded and injected copolymeric/polymeric synthetic plastic material, preferably an acrylic/styrene/acrylonitrile mixed with glass beads with mica. The inner periphery of the encapsulation of the door or cover is relatively wide which securely adheres and reinforces to the outer periphery border of the tempered glass panel, an outer periphery skirt, a rear handle among others.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,766,596 makes known a door or cover, which includes a tempered for a household appliance, such as a washer or a dryer, which includes a tempered glass panel over an inner surface over which one or two inlayed borders are applied by a ceramic pressing means which define a substantially opaque periphery border which delineate a central area to be viewed through which the clothes in the dryer or washer can be seen when the door or cover is closed. A wide encapsulation molded by injection or border, surrounds the border of the tempered glass panel and creates a water seal for the same. A third means of ceramic pressing formed according to security instructions or rules are applied to the first or second means of pressing but are not discernible from the outside when the door or cover remains closed. When the door or cover is opened, the security instructions or rules are completely visible and readable. This invention makes known a first layer which is a glass pane and two subsequent layers of the pressing means, such as is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Additionally, as opposed to this patent, the present invention has a fastening means for the glass pane itself for horizontal load doors, such as those used in dryers and not washers as is shown in said patent.
Hinges for reversible doors are known in the previous art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,433 makes known a mounting arrangement for a reversible dryer's door in which a hinge assembly annexed to the dryer cabinet's door includes at least two time hinges, each one having a fixed hinge sheet and annexed to the door and a fixed detachable sheet hinge annexed to the cabinet. Each detachable sheet has a pair of holes placed vertically. The reduced portion of the upper hole extends from the lengthened portion. The reduced portion of the lower hole extends towards under the lengthened portion. Mounting holes are provided in the cabinet's front walls on both sides of the access opening, aligned in accordance with the reduced portions of the upper and lower hole openings. The door is mounted by partially inserting a mounting screw in the upper part of the hole on the selected side of the cabinet. The lengthened portion of the upper opening on the sheet is passed through the mounted screw's head and allowed to drop. When the upper border of the hole's reduction portion bumps with the screw's pointed part, the door is aligned for the insertion of the remaining mounting screws. To make the mounting reverse, the door is disconnected and the screws annexed to the detachable screws from the cabinet are removed and the door is inverted and annexed on the side opposite the access opening as was previously described. Another document to consider is the summary and figures of Japanese Publication number 2001009192.
On the other hand, safety clasps for reversible doors are also made known in the previous art. For example, European patent number 0 610 824 makes known a safety clasp for a household dryer for clothes which has a lid for the door with a spring action closure mechanism. The closing plate undergoes a sliding action element and has a dual position security device to prevent the use, or to ensure the door when the appliance is turned on. The dryer has a large opening and a respective door with a handle. It is reversible, as are the screws for the hinges or the door closure. The dryer is turned on only when the door's projection is turned oppositely and is completely pressed to the groove of the before mentioned opening. Other safety clasps of lesser importance are those made known in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,991,520 and 7,159,910.
Thus, the previous art does not make known a door or cover for a household appliance, specifically for a dryer, which has a single glass pane and which is reversible. In the same way, previous art does not make known a method to reverse the door or cover for a single glass pane for a dryer.